Group art show: "Undercurrents"

Show title:  Undercurrents

Featured artists:  Denise Krueger, Tamara Goldsmith, Natasha Ramras, Joanne Licardo

Runs:  June 1st - June 28th, 2026

First Friday:  June 5th, 5-7 pm, with artists at the opening.

About the show:  

In literary terms, an Undercurrent might describe an underlying feeling or influence, especially one that is kept secret and contrary to the prevailing atmosphere. Like a current of water surging down deep, moving in a different direction from its visible surface and gathering energy while gaining momentum against the status quo. This tempest contains multitudes hinting at the coexistence of a duality; a calm serenity, juxtaposed with its explosive potential energy.

Many artists today are keenly aware of the tumultuous tides brought about by these troubled times, and hint at these conflicting emotions in their art. Like the concept of the “calm before the storm”, also compelling is the sea change that brings hope for a cleansing surge and the promise of renewal. 

We have invited four local artists to participate in this exhibition, each adept at describing our evocative Ocean visually. This collection is comprised of painting, sculpture and glass, suspending the viewer in a poignant, almost sinister reckoning under the forces of its own mysterious, collective strength. We are like ocean bodies caught in uncertain waters, restless between stillness and storm.

About the Artists:  

Denise Krueger- Denise Krueger- As a pod maker, Denise faces many challenges, like having to explain these things that she is compelled to create and describe to others what to do with them. The pod idea grew years ago from a class at her local ceramic supplier, Georgies, where she was taught how to make a hollow, round form from two pinched pots, and she’s been trying to figure out new ways to reinvent these forms ever since. The pod form continues to fascinate her, and she wakes up in the morning with fresh ideas for new pod life.

She stretches the functionality of the pod until it becomes more art than form. The jars and vases seem useful, but the outcome is usually more decorative than functional. Made to be suitable as garden stakes, rattles, and sculptural wall objects, Denise sculpts and paints to express her vivid, colorful dreams, mainly about plants, sea creatures, and cellular forms. 

More of her work can be found on Instagram @dkruegerbotanicart and on her etsy: dkruegerbotanicart

Tamara Goldsmith- Tamara is a Jill of all artistic trades, having dabbled in most of them, historically specializing in jewelry & metalwork, and now also glass. She owns the Magic Hour Glass, working currently as a full-time fine artist creating custom stained glass for clients and shops around Portland. Tamara often thinks of the creation of stained glass as painting with light. Tamara is both compelled and challenged by the medium and hopes to continue to grow her little business out of her home, as well as volunteer her time as curator and member at Sidestreet Arts. She is inspired by innovative solutions to design problems and clever upcycling, and strives to ignite the creative spark in young people to do the same. Her stained glass work can be found online at themagichourglass.com and also on Instagram @magichourglass.

Natasha Ramras- Natasha Ramras is a contemporary painter based in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Her work explores ecological systems, environmental memory, and the emotional resonance of place through both impressionistic and abstract painting.

She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including the London Biennale, and in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Her work is held in private collections in the United States and Europe. Proximity to diverse ecological terrain from the Pacific coast to inland forests and mountains continues to shape her studio practice and long-term investigations. More of her work can be found on Instagram @ramrasart and on her website: www.ramrasart.com

Joanne Licardo- Joanne paints and teaches oil painting in Amity, Oregon. After studying with Master painter Jan Saether for many years, she revelled in picking up many old master skills, which she loves to share with others. She wants to help others enjoy the journey of classical painting, finding it to be an essential bedrock for learning all other types of painting.

Joanne began painting, traditionally spending 2 or 3 years on a single painting. Now she often does a painting in under an hour, alla prima style. She enjoys the feel of palette knifing oil paint into an imaginary landscape just as much as she loves fanning a smooth, transitional, realistic painting with meticulous detail. More of her work can be found on Instagram @www.joannelicardo.com

For more information, please visit: https://www.sidestreetarts.com/next-month

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